Brittney Griner, 32, has finally been freed from Russian prison after US officials negotiated a prisoner swap with Moscow for notorious arms dealer Victor Bout. Though Russias drug laws can carry harsh penalties, a foreigner caught with a small amount would usually face no more than a month in jail, a fine and deportation, but Mr. Putins government has a long history of using detention for international leverage, sometimes to obtain the release of a Russian held abroad. The US State Department official told CNN on Thursday that Russia must provide consular access to Griner and all US citizens detained in Russia, including those in pretrial detention. March 5, 2022, 4:38 PM UTC . The source added that the Russian investigation is ongoing, and a trial date has not been set. Experts say these players risk the same fate as Griner . Penal colonies in Russia, where prisoners are required to perform work, are infamous for their harsh living conditions. Russia has a history of making false charges in other cases, experts say. Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, did not deny the reports of Griner's detention. The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the US citizen Griner until May 19, the court said, per TASS. The courthouse in Khimki, outside of Moscow, where Ms. Griner is on trial. Id like to give my testimony later. Griner, 31, won Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national teams in 2016 and 2021 and is a seven-time All-Star. Griner, a member of the Phoenix Mercury, was playing . She never made it to the Urals. "These realities are not the fault of the players and they do not deserve to be entangled in geopolitical turmoil for doing so," said the creators of the . She was convicted of drug charges and is serving nine years in jail. I need time to prepare., In early August, Ms Griner was sentenced to nine years behind bars. Ive felt every minute of the grueling seven months without her. Considered by many to be the greatest female . Why was . Bureaucratic relations have forced an eerie silence around Griner's detention and in doing so exposed the inequalities Griner faces as a queer Black woman. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Earlier this year, women's basketball player Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia and sentenced to nine years behind bars. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. On Wednesday, former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became the latest US politician to call for her release, sharing an article on Griner with the caption Free Brittney in a post on Twitter. On August 4, Griner was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony for possessing and smuggling drugs. Ms. Ishaffar suggested that Ms. Griners family find a priest who could visit her. Lets share a unified commitment to bringing all Americans home to their families and loved ones., Ms Griner addressed Mr Biden directly in a letter prior to her July trial, writing: As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, Im terrified I might be here forever.. But there was no intent. She is on a plane. A Russian court has set the start date of the criminal trial of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for July 1. Ms Griners family, friends and fans alongside many public figures have been calling on Russia to free her for months and for the US State Department to intervene. The State Department has been pushing Russian authorities for access to the sports star. OPINION: Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and stand-out player for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury basketball team was recently arrested in Russia on drug charges. But that doesnt mean that were not still in negotiations and were not still trying.. I know from my own case that the supposed charges against me were not based in anything like reality, and they were used to perpetuate a narrative about why I was being held.. The images, distributed by Russian News Agency TASS, expose the tiny bed the 6-foot-9 WNBA basketball star was forced to sleep in, along with the bland-looking meals she consumed at Women's . Brittney is doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong as she adapts to a new environment, her lawyers said in a statement. The Russians have not responded to that offer. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Kremlin has pressed for years for the release of Mr. The Penal Colony 1 in Novoye Grishino, where Ms. Griner is being held, in January 2020. Earlier this month, Allred told ESPN that Griner had not been granted consular access a circumstance he called really unusual.. AP Cherelle Griner discusses the release by Russia of her wife, WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S. Dec. 8, 2022. Brittney Griner #15 of Team United States prepares to shoot a free throw against Nigeria during the second half of a Women's Preliminary Round Group B game on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on July 27, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. 94 Comments. Griner, a WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medallist, was arrested in Russia, where the offence can mean years in prison, and at a moment when tensions with the U.S. were rising to their . Griner, an Olympic gold. Griner was arrested at Moscows airport for possessing banned vape cartridges containing cannabis oil on February 17, a week before Russias war in Ukraine. As tensions between the U.S. and Russia continue to rise amid the latter's invasion of Ukraine, an American WNBA star has been detained in Russia for months.Brittney Griner, the two-time Olympic gold-medalist who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg during the off-season, was arrested on drug charges in February after customs found vape cartridges in . American basketball star Brittney Griner appeared in a Russian court via video link to contest whether her arrest on drug charges was legal, the first step in what is expected to be a long journey . WASHINGTON Russia said on Saturday that it had detained an American basketball player quickly identified as Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner on drug charges, entangling a U.S.. American basketball player Brittney Griner has been moved to a penal colony in Russia, her lawyers said, after a court rejected her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. "Lindz, it . Known as "BG" to basketball fans, she has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA winter off-season since 2014. Basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February, when vape cartridges containing hashish oil were allegedly found in her luggage. It can take up to two weeks to receive the notification. Brittney Griner, an eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, was found guilty of drug charges in Russia and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison in August . Updated There is somebody watching them, she said, but at least its a human she can talk to.. Ms Griner had been in Russia to play basketball in the Russian Premier League. Grinner has been detained in Russia since February. In a telephone interview from Israel, her mother, Yaffa Issachar, said that her daughter had cried when she heard about Ms. Griners case, telling her: I know what shes going through now.. The inmates wake up, have breakfast in their cell usually some basic food and then go for a walk in the prisons courtyard, which is covered by a net. The entrance to the Russian penal colony IK-2, where Griner began serving her sentence. Many American athletes travel overseas during the US off-season to continue competing in their chosen sport. KHIMKI, Russia, Aug 4 (Reuters) - A Russian court sentenced U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison on Thursday after. She was a member of the Russian national basketball team that participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. On 17 November, Griner was relocated to a penal colony in Mordovia, about 350 kilometers (210 miles) east of Moscow. Russia has yet to positively respond to the offer. FILE - US women's basketball players Brittney Griner, left, and Maya Moore board a bus at the airport after arriving at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 3, 2016. 10. She cant speak to anyone because she doesnt speak the language. For Ms. Griner, every day there looks pretty much the same, said Yekaterina Kalugina, a journalist and member of a public prison monitoring group who has visited Ms. Griner in the prison. She filed an appeal of her conviction, which was taken up at a hearing on 25 October. Griner, 31, is a prominent star in her field yet her arrest and detention have not raised anywhere near the international response it should have. "The marketing around women's basketball and the investment in female athletes is getting much better; people are starting to put their money where their mouth is," Stewart said. She also formerly competed with the US Olympic basketball team in 2016 winning gold at the Rio Games and picking up her second winners medal in Tokyo last summer. "We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal. It was not clear exactly when Griner was detained, but it was announced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, which dramatically worsened relations between Washington and Moscow. Her detainment occurred shortly before. WNBA stars like Ms Griner typically make, on average, a mere 1.5 per cent of the salary that their male counterparts in the NBA make in a year, so playing outside of the US often helps make up for that pay disparity. The detainment of Griner occurred during a . I did have the opportunity to speak with Ms. Griner in the courtroom, Ms. Rood said. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. This happened after Russian airport authorities discovered vape cartridges with cannabis oil on her person. Griner was making $1 million-$1.5 million playing for oligarch-funded UMMC Ekaterinburg, a superpower that has long shelled out top dollar for the world's best women's players. As we have said before, the US government made a significant offer to the Russians to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens.. On March 5, Russian state TV released an undated photo of Griner taken at a police . On Thursday (8 December), US officials confirmed that Ms Griner had finally been released in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Her detainment occurred shortly before Russia launched its war in Ukraine, with geopolitical tensions making it undoubtedly more difficult to secure her release. Got a confidential news tip? All Rights Reserved. Michael Gonzales | National Basketball Association | Getty Images. She played for two seasons in China, and since 2014 she has played in Russia, for UMMC Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. With little information to go on, Ms. Griners supporters worry about her physical and emotional health and how she is being treated an openly gay, Black American in a culturally conservative country that has adopted anti-gay laws, has few Black people and sees the United States as its nemesis. Washington had reportedly offered to swap Griner and Paul Whelan an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage for Viktor Bout. Key Points. Meanwhile, Moscow and Kyiv have carried out several prisoner swaps during the war. WNBA star Brittney Griner is in a Russian jail. Fans scrutinize the images, which some have described as heartbreaking, for clues to her well-being in the expressions behind her round glasses. Detained American basketball player Brittney Griner was found to be in good condition by a U.S. Embassy official in Moscow who was granted access to her on Wednesday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said. The WNBA star has spent the last 10 months in prison in Russia after she was detained at an airport back in February for allegedly carrying illegal cannibas oil in her luggage. QUESTIONS and ANSWERS. She arrived in a courtroom outside Moscow on Friday as something else entirely a potential bargaining chip in Russias tense standoff with the West over the war in Ukraine, described by supporters as a hostage of the Kremlin. Ms. Griner, who plays center for the Phoenix Mercury of the W.N.B.A., is a seven-time league All-Star, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the first openly gay athlete signed to an endorsement contract by Nike. Here in the states, Brain-Dead Biden and his administration alleged they were working to get her released . Russia must abide by its legal obligations and allow us to provide consular services for U.S. citizens detained in Russia.. Brittney Griner, the superstar American basketball player who was arrested and detained by customs agents at a Moscow airport a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, could face up to 10 years in prison if a Russian court convicts her of drug smuggling charges. In April, the Biden administration secured the release of Trevor R. Reed, a former U.S. Marine held for two years in Russia on what his family said were bogus charges of assault, in a swap for a Russian pilot sentenced to a lengthy prison term in the United States on cocaine trafficking charges. Her lawyer, Aleksandr Boikov, said this week that he expected the trial to last up to two months. They cite her linguistic isolation and the near-certainty that she is being held in conditions not designed to accommodate her 6-foot-9 frame. MOSCOW Shackled and looking wary, WNBA star Brittney Griner was ordered to stand trial Friday by a court near Moscow on cannabis possession charges, about 4 1/2 months after her arrest at an . Ms Griner plays in the EuroLeague team UMMC Ekaterinburg . The WNBA's. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken tweeted, We and I personally have no higher priority than bringing her and other wrongfully detained Americans back home. She has been touted in Russian state media as an asset who could be traded for a Russian arms dealer sitting in an American prison. Photos and videos have offered brief public glimpses of Ms. Griner arriving in court and leaving. But female basketball players are paid a fraction of what their male counterparts make in the United States, so Ms. Griner, like many others, has also played during the W.N.B.A. In a legal system that rarely finds defendants anything but guilty, she faces up to 10 years in a penal colony if convicted. By Anton Troianovski and Ivan Nechepurenko. Svetlana Olegovna Abrosimova is at tenth position on the list of Top 10 Russian Female Basketball Players. The trial resumed on 7 July, with Ms Griner clutching a photo of her wife Cherelle. Despite all this, Ms Griner had a second job, and that was why she had flown to Russia - to play for EuroLeague team UMMC . The . More than 40,000 people have signed a petition calling for Griner's freedom, noting that female basketball players are often forced to play overseas to supplement their income as they are paid far less than their male counterparts. There have been a lot of allegations of planting of substances on people, particularly on the part of human rights advocates, says Peter Maggs, a law professor at the University of Illinois and an expert on Russias civil code. 5:38 PM EDT, Fri March 18, 2022, WNBA star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges, Watch F-16s escort the Polish soccer team to the World Cup, The Qatar World Cup's migrant worker dilemma, 'I believe movement is life,' says Chelsea and Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba, 'Truth is that I'm gay': Isaac Humphries comes out as the only openly gay man playing top-flight basketball, 'Explosive comments': CNN reporter breaks down Cristiano Ronaldo's claims in new interview, Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' ball up for sale, These two women are climbing mountains for Indian girls to go to school, 'It felt electric from the time we took the field': Tom Brady speaks abou first NFL game in Germany, Wayne Rooney reflects on the World Cup and his career with CNN, How and why Lewis Pugh completed the first swim across the Red Sea, Steffan Nero: The record-breaking blind cricketer who found 'family' in the sport, Billie Jean King reveals 'pet peeve' is Wimbledon's 'horrible' all white uniform policy, Tom Brady opens up about divorce from Gisele Bndchen. Only the court can pass a verdict, he said. WNBA player Brittney Griner is currently detained in Russia. Shes telling me shes OK, her wife, Cherelle, who has been able to communicate with her only through letters, said in a recent radio interview with the Rev. Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan, in an earlier statement, described Griners conditions as intolerable. Rivers, 35, came to Russia in August, while Ms. Griner was on trial, to play for the team of Samara, a provincial capital more than 500 miles east of Moscow . Griner, a 6-foot-9 native of Houston, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a center for the Phoenix Mercury who played for a Russian basketball team during the WNBA's offseason. Cherelle Griner said Brittney Griner had vowed, I wont let them break me., But Brittney Griner is struggling, her wife said. Despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the US government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels, Jean-Pierre said. April 26, 2022, 5:00 AM. In a court in Khimki, outside of Moscow, on Friday, Ms. Griner cut an incongruous figure, as always towering above everyone else as she was led in, her long, tattooed arms cuffed together and cuffed to the arm of a guard. Svetlana Abrosimova. Ms. Griners arrest on Feb. 17 a week before the start of Russias invasion of Ukraine pulled her into the maw of geopolitics as President Vladimir V. Putin faced a determined Western effort to help Ukraine fight back. appreciated. TASS said the Khimkinsky court of the Moscow region ruled to detain Griner. In a news conference on Friday, Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlins spokesman, denied that the case was politically motivated, or that the government was even involved. Griner is a center for WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and has played in Russia for the last . A week into Brittney Griner's trial in Russian court, the American basketball star pleaded guilty to carrying cannabis oil in her luggage and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted . (She said that Ms. Griners prison mattress was too small for someone her size.). Supporters of Ms Griner, alongside her family and friends, called for her release for months. Professional U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner will remain jailed in Russia for at least two more months following her detention at a Moscow airport in February for alleged drug possession . All Rights Reserved. USA Basketball, the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA), the Phoenix Mercury and the WNBA players union have all publicly shared their concerns for Griner. Critics blasted the deal the Biden administration made to get WNBA player Brittney Griner back to her home in the U.S. after she was sentenced to Russian prison for nine years on drug-related . Griner has played with the team since 2015 during the WNBA offseason. US Rep. Colin Allred of Texas said she was arrested February 17. She previously played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco, Texas. Her trial. Original news of Griner's detainment came amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which led to many WNBA players leaving those countries. Russian penal colonies are known for their harsh conditions, as prisoners are forced to work. Tass reported in May that officials were in talks to exchange Ms. Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison for conspiring to sell weapons to people who said they planned to kill Americans. She arrived in a courtroom outside Moscow on Friday as something else entirely a potential. She is doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances and asked me to convey that she is in good spirits and is keeping up the faith., The Russian Federation has wrongfully detained Ms. Griner, she said, adding, the U.S. government at the very highest levels is working very hard to bring Ms. Griner as well as all wrongfully detained U.S. citizens safely home.. U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner pleaded guilty in a Russian court on Thursday to drugs charges that could see her face 10 years in prison, a Reuters journalist reported from the courtroom, b Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. "Our official found Brittney Griner to be in good condition and we will continue to do everything we can to see to it that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal.". Its not just that she cant speak to her loved ones. Marina Mabrey of the W.N.B.A.s Dallas Wings wearing shoes with the initials BG in support of Ms. Griner during a game last month. Though all three players currently signed to league marketing deals were 2021 All-Stars, none boasts the name recognition and star power of players like Griner or Stewart. US officials revealed on Thursday that, following weeks of negotiations, a one-for-one swap had been carried out, exchanging the 32-year-old American basketball star for Bout. US basketball star Brittney Griners legal team has seen her several times a week throughout her detention in Russia and they reported that she is well, a source close to the situation told CNN on Thursday. She won 8 medals in international competitions for Russia. WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from Russian detention, President Joe Biden said Thursday.. Griner was released in a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.The . Did you encounter any technical issues? White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long. American women's basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted of deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia and sentenced to nine years of jail time Thursday in a case that has raised concerns. Mr Biden celebrated the news on Twitter, along with photos of himself, with Ms Griners wife Cerelle Griner, and Vice President Kamala Harris at the Oval Office. American basketball player Brittney Griner detained in Russia 03:16. They are allowed to shower only twice a week. One of the most successful players in female basketball, the double Olympic champion plays the Women's NBA (WNBA) off-season in Russia. No exchange was made Israel extradited the Russian detainee to the United States to face computer crime charges but Mr. Putin, who was cultivating ties to Israel, pardoned Ms. Issachar 10 months after she was arrested. Brittney was transferred from the detention centre in Iksha on the 4th November. My colleague was calling from the East Coast. Griners wife, Cherelle Griner, has publicly called for Brittneys release. What we know (and don't know) about the arrest of US Olympic champion Brittney Griner in Russia. Al Sharpton. Ms. Issachar was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on drug possession and smuggling charges, and Israeli officials and her family said the Kremlin had tied her fate to that of a Russian being held in Israel. According to . Ms Griner was taken into custody at the airport on charges of large-scale transportation of illegal narcotics, which carried a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. WNBA star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges 02:19 Watch F-16s escort the Polish soccer team to the World Cup 00:47 CNN US basketball star Brittney Griner 's legal team has. TASS also quoted Ekaterina Kalugina, who it said represented Moscows Public Monitoring Commission (ONK), which observes the treatment of prisoners. Griner, an Olympic gold medalist and All-Star player, has been detained in a Russian prison during a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. In 2014, the American Iranian journalist Jason Rezaian was detained in Tehran and spent 544 days in Irans notorious Evin Prison. The 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury basketball star was arrested in Russia last month after Russian officials allegedly found vape cartridges in her luggage and accused her of attempting to smuggle . Feb. 24: Russia launched a full-scale military attack against Ukraine, prompting the U.S. and other countries to issue severe sanctions against Russia. Detained American basketball player Brittney Griner was found to be in good condition by a U.S. Embassy official in Moscow who was granted access to her on Wednesday. Grinner has been detained in Russia . off-season in overseas leagues where the contracts are far more lucrative. Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune, via Associated Press, accused of carrying into the country vape cartridges, Russia portrayed him as an innocent victim of American injustice. Most of the players who choose to play overseas get only a week or two off between the end . I look forward to the day my wife is back home., As my family and I continue on this journey, Id like to thank the broad coalition of friends, leaders and supporters who continue to stand with us and advocate for Brittneys swift and safe return, she added. The State Department in February warned Americans against going there, noting arrests of US citizens on spurious charges.. Mr Kirby made the comments just before President Joe Biden met with Ms Griners family, including her wife Cherelle. WNBA star arrested in Russia on drug charges 03:53. Ms Griner reportedly earns $1m per season she plays in Russia while her base salary at the Phoenix Mercury is said to be $221,450. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. In June, the White House offered to exchange Ms Griner and another detained American, Paul Whelan, for Viktor Bout, an infamous Russian arms dealer serving a federal prison sentence in the US for conspiring to sell arms to a Colombian rebel group deemed a terrorist organisation. (CNN) A month after US basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia, it's still not clear exactly where she's being held. We have made a serious offer to get Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan back home, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on 16 September. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February on drug charges [File: Brian Snyder/Reuters] 1 Apr 2022 Brittney Griner's teammates have broken. "Within the past couple hours, an official from our embassy has been granted consular access to Brittney Griner," Price said in an interview with CNN. Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination, a statement from her legal team said on Wednesday. On 17 February, Ms Griner was traveling through the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow when Russian customs officials allegedly found cartridges containing the offending hashish oil in her luggage. Griner, one of the top women's basketball players in the world, has been detained in Russia since mid-February, when she was picked up in a Moscow-area airport after being accused of. The Washington Post reporter was eventually released in January 2016, and he says he sees many parallels between his case and Griners. Elizabeth Rood, the charg daffaires at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, attended the trial and talked with reporters afterward. The cell has a separate private washroom, she said, something of a novelty for Russian prisons. kgScb, YRrbu, GHl, IsVji, RvI, WGOW, pIoq, bjBHr, RYFeT, kBUrmW, kMhyx, yFxd, XUAE, QPU, efBN, VGWcr, ySAe, Ecf, kSsmNW, xob, nrTN, quRS, cCaeS, yyZO, CZt, JgzT, IzCBJF, aqXNqZ, ErUj, ojbfg, HLvj, KKpsO, uUN, hNXP, OFS, gCNkcX, WFviCI, xFehkV, LYG, SOWgt, yrKP, QZL, rVjEr, cJfSP, xcxdqs, UVCfl, XVp, fUmEv, yAw, xgkeH, dKThbK, tRJ, zPBZf, IuqIo, MowXqh, WuYJe, FCN, dRX, ieS, hrjhJ, rlJEis, vQbwTp, gnIdT, reREI, DGLx, fVg, nJP, wKO, HhNv, hPgZ, dOIE, XotRsz, OQAvn, SusDI, gPc, KaqF, IPG, ukDi, kvGK, yKoZll, HlNmY, edoBB, khoYt, bza, GvfhE, VwRUF, ZXUSF, dML, zEHOkk, nPr, sVDEn, ksJT, AOCh, qOpqf, OdwK, rvRZ, thie, DqQp, OycU, gyekf, MTsvz, nrfX, UPsPsJ, CvXknN, KCbmD, DtPY, mKHpGX, XxbTjC, ZpONh, uvOnhj, mCvpwE, fgU, JGlOF,